Chair and friction hinge therefor



Aug 30, 1932. y A Q ROWN 1,874,434

C HAIRvAND FRICTON HNGE THEREFOR Filed March l1. 1929 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES ARTHUR C. BROWN,

APATENT OFFICE j y or WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoR To HEYWooD-WAKE- SETTS CHAIR AND rRIo'rIoN j HINGEV THnnnron Appncation filed March 11, 1929. serial No. 345,99a

This invention relates to friction hinge devices and while not limited thereto has been more particularly developed to meet the requirements of folding chairs whereby the hinged parts may be retained without the use of the other means in any relative position to which they may be adjusted. As applied to the mounting of the seats of chairs, this prevents the seats from dropping open as soon as folding presure is removed when they have been partly folded, this serving to prevent the disturbing and often startling noise which results from such dropping.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation 0f a chair showing the device in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a section to a much larger scale on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on ure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are perspectives of the friction elements' of the device.

Referring to this drawing, at 1 is indicated a chair side frame member to which the seat 2 is pivoted as at 3. At 4 is shown a combined leg and stop having its forward upper end 5 positioned to receive and support the seat 2 forwardly of the pivot 3 to define the open position of the seat. This member 4 is shown as pivoted at 6 to the frame member 1, thus permitting this member 4 to be folded when the seat 2 is turned up so as to lie closely adjacent to the frame member 1. At 7 is shown the usual brace extendingfrom side tov side of the chair at the back between the members 4. The hinge device at 3 forms more particularly the subject matter of the present invention. As shown it comprises a pivot member 10 having a reduced diameter portion 11 at its outer end, a portion 12 of somewhat larger diameter inwardly of the portion 11 and dening therewith an annular shoulder 13 and an inner end portion 14 of still larger diameter defining with the portion 12 an annular shoulder 15. The portion 14 is intended to be seated in a suitable socket 16 in the side frame member l, the shoulder 15 being substantially flush with the inner face of the member 1.

une 3 3 of Fig- At 20 is shown a wear plate apertured to engage over the portion 12 ofthe pivot meinber and resting against the inner face of the neiiber 1 and against the shoulder 15 and ielc ber 1. This wear plate as shown is substantially circular in outline with a central perforation and with an extension 21 having riveted thereto or spun therein a pin 25 adapted to be seated in a socket v26 also in the frame member A1. This pin 25 engaging in the socket 26 holds the plate 2() against rotation relative to the frame member 1. Carried on the portion 11 beyond the wear plate and against the shoulder 13 isa friction plate 30 whichis dished, its concave side facing the wear plate 2O so that its outer edges contact therewith under pressure. As shown thev friction plate 30 isl held'against rotation relative to the pivot member 10, the portion 11 having a flat face 27 yand the plate 30 having a correspondingly shaped central aperture 28. At 31 is shown a member carried on the portion 11 and having-an extension 32 which may be fixed as by means of the screws 33 to the lower face of the seat 2. The outer end of the pivot member 10 is shown as riveted over the member 31 as at 35, this riveting serving to bind the member 31 against rotation relative to the pivot 10 and against the friction plate 30 so that all may rotate as a unit relative to the wear plate 20 and forcing the friction plate 30 into the desired frictional engagement with the wear plate. This riveting over, of course, is done prior to the attachment of the seat 2 thereto and in the course of manufacture of the hinge device. The friction element 30 is thus held to rotate with the element 31 and has sufcient frictional engagement with the wear plate so that the seat 2 will be retained in any angular position in which it may be placed. It is thus prevented from falling by its weight onto the end portion 5 of the member 4 when it has been partly turned up so that it is impossible for the chair seat to drop open with its resulting disturbing noise.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and against rotation relatively to the mem modifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

5 1. A device of the class described comprising a pivot having a reduced diameter portionA and a pair of portions of larger cross section and forming a pair of spaced shoulders at one end of said reduced diameter portion, a wear lo plate a ertured to receive thesmaller of said larger iameter portions and engaging against one of said shoulders, a dished friction plate on said reduced diameter portiomsaid plate-A having its concave side positioned against 15 said wear plate and being rotatable'relative thereto, and a member carried by said reduced diameter portion beyond said friction plate, said reduced diameter portionbeing headed over said member to press said memg2g ber against said friction plate and said friction plate against said Wear plate, said wear plate and member being adapted for attachment to members to be pivotally connected by said device. g5 2. In combination, a pair of members, a pivot element carried by one of said members, a flat wear platexoutwardly of which said pivot element projects, means for holding said plate against rotation relative to said one :30 member, a" v(lished friction plate carried by said elementV and rotatable with its peripheral margin in frictional engagement with said wear plate, and means for fixing said friction plate against rotation relative to the g5 other of said members. y f

, 3. In combination, a rotatable pivot element havinga circumferential shoulder, an apertured VWear plate having said pivot extending through its aperture, said ,plater a resting against said shoulder, a pin projecting from the face of said Wear plate adjacent to said shoulder, a friction plate having a .pore tion frictionally engaging the face of said wear late remote from said shoulder and 5 rotata le with said element, and a member to be rotated secured to said element and pressing said friction plate against said Wear plate.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature. 50 ARTHUR C. BROWN. 

